Heated Partners
by SlayerX5-226
Summary: What would've happened if Max had been in heat when Alec first walked into her cell at Manticore...? This is my answer to Smartieepants challenge. Max/Alec Chapter Four is Up!
1. Tensions Build

**Heated Partners**

Rated: R definitely.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with Dark Angel.

Summary: What would've happened if Max had been in heat when Alec first walked into her cell at Manticore...?

This is my answer to Smartieepants challenge. I thought it would be interesting. This is my first attempt at an Alec/Max fic so be gentle please. Reviews are most welcome. Here it goes.

Anything in italics is that characters thoughts.

**Chapter One**

Max entered her cell feeling more trapped than ever. Was it hotter in here than usual or was it her. _God did the thermostat break or is this their new method of coercion? Man that one X5, what was his designation? Whatever it was he was lookin' good! Wouldn't mind getting a piece of that transgenic ass _Max thought biting her lip. _Oh god! I'm in heat! Shit! What am I gonna do?!_

_First pull yourself together solder! _Another voice in her head said _Get your head in the game. You're only in the beginning stages. Tomorrow when it starts getting really bad they'll see what's going on and do to you whatever they've been doing the other females when they went into heat._

_For once I'll be glad for their intervention. Okay time to concentrate on escaping. The physical activity will help distract me. _Max folded up her bed using the hooks in the wall to secure it. She pulled out the metal rod and started sawing her way through the bricks. It was a little while later when Max heard footsteps coming down the hall. She quickly worked the brick back into place, unhooked her cot and climbed in feigning sleep. She could have sworn her heart skipped a few beats when she heard them stop at her door. _We're they coming for her already? It could only be for the better if they were right? I mean they had usually grabbed all the other females by now hadn't they?_

When the guards had come to get him from his room, if you could call it that, X5-494 was both anxious and annoyed. He knew Manticore had given him an excuse to get laid. Not something you got to do very often in Manticore, at least outside of away missions but they could have stuck him with a dog. Sure they had genetically engineered them all to be cream of the crop in everything including looks but that didn't mean they were all his type. Most people there thought he preferred blonde's cause that's who he usually ended up with but the truth was he'd always had a soft spot for brunettes. He just usually ended up with blondes cause the brunettes never showed much interest in him. As he always said it was just his luck, always falling for what he can't have.

Not to mention some of theses girls could be dead fish. He knew this from personal experience. It had been toward the end of dinnertime when 494 had been heading back to his room only to be cornered by X5-287. Her pheromones had immediately hit his senses and his instincts kicked into overdrive. Somehow they had made it to his room where he experienced a night he'd never forget. He'd been with her one more time after that. They'd snuck into a supply closet but he might as well have been screwing a post for all the passion and energy there was. He'd carefully spurned her advances from that point on.

He'd heard about the whole mating thing. Something that happened between two Transgenics that got together when the female was in heat. It became more than a physical thing. They acted like wolves in the wild protecting each other, acting like they owned each other. It was bizarre and Manticore couldn't figure out what caused it cause it didn't happen every time. Of course there weren't many cases to study. Manticore was usually pretty good at getting to thee females when they went in heat and giving them a suppression drug before anything like that could happen.

_Please let her be my type and have at least some spark of life in her. _494 thought as he stopped in front of the door that separated him from his new lover. The door slid open and he stepped in with his usually cocky manner. Than two things hit him at once. First he had gotten his wish. She wasn't only pretty but gorgeous. Second she was in heat. _Oh this is gonna be better than I thought. _

When Max saw the person who had stepped into her cell she forgot about being in heat. She was so shocked by the torrent of emotions flashing through her only one thought stuck out through the myriad of them all. "Ben?"

_Huh? Who's Ben. _"What?" _I hope she doesn't have a boyfriend._

"You look like some one I use to know." Max said her wits slowly coming back to her.

"My designation's 494" He said walking further into the room

"His was 493." She said trying to get her thoughts sorted out and figure out who this guy was that wore her brother's face. One thought struck her. "You must be twinned."

"493, you're fellow traitor. Went psycho." _So Ben's not a boyfriend just my twin that lost it and I got to pay the price. That's a memory I wanted brought up. _He thought sarcastically. _Great way to start the night. Can we get to it already? Her hormones are driving me crazy. Has she even noticed she's in heat? _He was starting to have a hard time concentrating. Max's pheromones were permeating the small room making his body want to take over.

"What would you know about it?" Max could feel her temper rising. _How dare he talk about Ben that way. He doesn't know what Ben went through._

"I know because of him I had to spend six months in Psy-Ops." _So much for not dredging up those memories. God does she have to look so hot? _"They wanted to make sure it wasn't genetic. Looks like ten years in the world finally got to him."

"It was this place that got to him." Her temper was really starting to flare and it didn't help that her body was starting to remind her of it's current state by reacting to his close proximity. _Why does he have to be so hot? Even for a transgenic. _

"Whatever. Well let's get this over with huh." He couldn't take much more. His body was craving her by now. It was taking all his willpower to keep it from showing and act nonchalant about it. He started untucking his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Max asked starting to feel worried when he started untucking his shirt.

"We've been paired off. I'm your breeding partner." He said pulling his shirt off.

"My what?!" _Oh god pleas put your shirt back on. No don't put your shirt back on. Mmmmm! Delish! No! Snap out of it. This is wrong and on so many levels. Remember you love Logan. With those full lips and scruffy beard. Not helping! Where's a cold shower when you need one? I can do this. It's still early enough for me to control my urges. Just stay angry. _

"We're supposed to copulate every night until you get pregnant." _Pleas let it be more than once or twice. _For once 494 found himself cursing his superior genetics.

"That's sick!" She was trying to hold on to her anger but the thought of having him in her bed every night sent shivers down her back.

"It's your own fault. If you and your friends hadn't blown up the DNA database they'd still be whipping up eggs and putting them in surrogates. Take off your clothes." _God please don't fight to much on this. I don't know how long I can control myself and be gentle._ He'd already noticed how the pheromone levels had increased when he'd taken off his shirt. So he knew she wasn't totally immune to him. The problem was it made it that much harder on him.

_Please tell me he's not reaching for his belt._ "Get out of my cell." Max could feel her body heating up at the thought of what lay under those pants.

"We've got our orders." He stated hoping that would do the trick. But he didn't know Max.

Max could feel her body taking over and desire consuming her as he started to undo his pants. So she did the only thing she could think of and put as she much distance between them as possible. She lashed out and kicked him back against the door.

494 was caught completely off guard. "What the hell was that?!"

"The only kind of physical contact you and I are gonna have." She snapped trying to rain in her body's reaction.

Now he was getting aggravated. Between the treatment he had received since entering her cell, her pheromones making it very hard to think straight and her general hotness he felt like literally climbing the walls. So he decided it was his turn to be the aggravating one. _Turn about is fair play._ He thought walking up to her. "You know, this isn't exactly a plum assignment for me either. You spent half your life out there in filth and degradation. I could catch something."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself…" _God he's close. Much too close! Look at those full lush lips. They looks so kissable. I wonder if they taste as good as they look. Dammit! Focus Max! Don't get sidetracked now. Mmmmm… Look at those eyes though. You could just fall into 'em. _It took all her strength to restrain the purr rising in her throat. _It's getting hotter in here. _"Just so long as we understand each other." She handed him back his shirt catching a strong whiff of his smell as it went by. _God he smells like heaven._

He chuckled to himself. Though it wasn't so much out of amusement as self deprecation. This girl was in heat and still fighting. If anything that just made his attraction to her go up. "Fine. Don't 'freak out on me.'" Max gave him on odd look at his word choice trying to take her mind off his rock hard abs. "I took 'Common Verbal Usage' when I got cleared for my solo missions."

"Oh you mean assignations?" She was trying not to look at his well defined chest and perfectly unblemished skin. _Why isn't he putting his shirt back on?_

He'd started to put his shirt back on but instead had decided to leave it off hoping to tempt her. He knew she found him attractive and the pheromone levels were going up as she got further along in her heat. _It's only a matter of time before she can't resist me anymore._ "It was my job. You want to 'bust my chops' about it, go ahead."

They turned to the "window" in the door when they heard someone approaching. When Max saw it was a guard she spoke up quickly trying to distract him from noticing their state of undress or lack there of in her case thinking he was there to check and make they were following orders like good little breeding solders. "He's reading me love poetry, you know, to get me in the mood."

494 threw her an amused yet superior look as he walked towards the guard. "You got something for me?" The guard asked completely ignoring Max. 494 handed him some pills. "Beautiful." The guard said passing money to 494.

"Do me a favor. Give these to Vic." He said passing the guard a few cigars. "Tell him he can pay me later."

"No problem." The Guard said and left.

"Thanks." 494 whispered as he left. He turned back to Max seeing her look of consternation he decided to explain himself a little. "He's got a thing for those vitamins they make us pop every morning." He pulled out his wallet and stuffed the money in it trying to ignore the sent of her pheromones and what they were doing to him. They seemed to be increasing exponentially now.

"I'm not even going to ask about the cigars." _How does he even pulling out his wallet look hot?_

"I got a few things working." _Would she quit staring at me already? I can feel her eyes raking me and God is it turning me on. _494 was trying to suppress the growl that wanted to come out. A growl of frustration and arousal. Deciding to play it cool he walked over to her cot. "Listen I got an hour to kill before I head back to the barracks. Why don't you wake me up at 0100?" He said acting like it was to save face and that he had capitulated and decided not to push her. He tossed his shit to the side and stretched out so there was no way to deny or avoid his perfect physique. _Just give it time. Soon she'll be crawling all over me. Or me all over her with the way her pheromone levels are spiking._

_I can't believe he's just going to lie there like that. With that gorgeous body on display. He's gotta be doing it on purpose. No he doesn't know you're in heat. I don't know that. Plus he's arrogant enough, heat or no heat, to think that might tempt me. Well it's not going to work. I'll just sit over here in the corner for the next hour and not think of the sexy man lying in my bed right now. With that beautifully tanned skin, those taunt muscles that ripple so beautifully every time he moves or flexes, or that hair that looks so soft and is the perfect length to run my hands through. Or how much I just want to grab him by that hair and pull him down into a mind-shattering, searing kiss with those full, lush, pouty lips of his. Right, another hour. Not that hard. _Max whimpered quietly to herself.

But having transgenic hearing of course 494 heard it. _Oh yeah, not long now. _He smiled to himself.

TBC……

So tell me what you think. Love it? Hate it? I'll have the next chapter up soon I promise. And the next one is where it'll really start getting heated.

For those of you waiting for the next installments of my other stories I haven't forgotten. I was just getting a brain cramp and needed to do something short, sweet and simple to get my mind off 'em. The next chapters for them will be up soon I swear. Probably by the end of the week.


	2. Tensions Explode

**Chapter two**

Max looked at her watch for what must have been the hundredth time but despite her wishes time wasn't moving any faster. It had only been twenty minutes. Max could feel her heat starting to really kick in and normally she would take a cold shower and push till kingdom come but there was no shower here. At least not one she had immediate access to and she didn't want to show any weakness in front of this guy. She was going to have to do something soon though or else she was a goner with him here looking all hot and sexy. She just wasn't sure what.

494 was rigid trying to restrain himself. Her sent was slowly pushing him over the edge. There was only so much even a disciplined solder could handle. He was after all still a red-blooded male with tomcat in his genetics. Every time she shifted or sighed it would send a bolt of desire through him and she was doing that more and more as her heat over took her making her restless. His heart lodged in his throat when he heard her clothes rustling and saw her shirt land on the floor out of the corner of his eye. He knew he shouldn't but he couldn't help it, he turned his head to take a peek and felt his breath catch. _Oh shit, I'm a goner! _She was magnificent. Her flawless, tawny skin was aglow from the fine sheen of sweat that was covering it. There was a slight flush to her skin especially on her cheeks that led his eyes to her lips. Those full, pouty lips that just begged to be ravished. He tore his eyes away from her lips and traveled south to land on the picture of her cleavage heaving with every labored breath as she tried to control herself. He could see the outline of her nipples through her standard issue sports bra and felt his loins tighten as he wondered what it would be like to take one of them in his mouth and roll his tongue around it. Wondered what it would be like to hear her moan from the pleasure he was giving her. He couldn't suppress the small moan that escaped his throat at that last thought. He turned his head away closing his eyes and hoping she hadn't heard him.

Of course she had. Max had been so lost in thought she hadn't even noticed herself removing her shirt. She only remembered thinking it was getting too hot in here and her clothes felt too binding. Too late she realized what she had done when she heard him moan. That one moan sparked off a tidal wave of electricity that cascaded across her skin and to make matters worse she had to turn and look at him. She could see the sweat that was coating his skin from his exertions of remaining still. It made his skin glisten and she wondered hat it would be like to glide her hands up his manly arms and down his muscular chest. Over his washboard abs and than let them skim below his belt line. She imagined his sharp in take of breath and coming so close to that forbidden zone yet still being so far away. She could see the slight bulge in his trousers and knew it was because of her. She couldn't help the smile that crept over her face in female pride at this knowledge or the purr that escaped knowing that he wasn't as unaffected by her as he'd like her to believe.

He almost lost it when he heard her purr. 494 screwed his eyes shut taking deep breaths trying to regain some semblance of control. Which of course back fired since this just caused him to breath her sent in even deeper. He snapped his eyes open when a shadow came over him blocking the light. His hazel eyes were met with a pair of deep brown filled with burning desire.

Before she knew what she was doing Max was up across the room standing at his side. When he opened his eyes and she saw the barely contained yearning in them she lost what little control she'd had.

Their lips collided with an all consuming fire. 494 pulled her down on top of him. He growled at how perfect she felt against him. She fit against him as if she were made for him. He brushed his tongue against her lips seeking entrance. She parted her lips with a deep moan fueling his passion. Their tongues dueled for dominance.

He grabbed hold of her sports bra and ripped it off her freeing her breasts for his caresses. Max thought she was going to come when he started fondling her chest. She sat up and started undoing his pants. Following her lead he attacked her belt.

Once they had divested each other of their clothing they renewed their assaults on each other. 494 rolled them over pining her beneath him. He paused for a moment to enjoy the sight of her in her full glory. She took his breath away. She was truly magnificent. He couldn't remember ever feeling like this before, heat or no heat. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind though and concentrated on the angel withering beneath him, driving him crazy with her lustful squirming. "If you keep that up this is going to be over much to soon."

"We can always go for round two. Now stop staring and fuck me already." Max said not caring how needy she sounded. She just knew that she needed him right than and there more than she'd ever needed anything before. More than she needed the very air she breathed. These feelings both scared her and thrilled her. She couldn't remember feeling like this during any other heat. She felt like she had met her match and she wanted him to claim her, no needed him to claim her, mind, body and soul. She would analyze it later. Right now she was going with flow. Her overwhelming instincts wouldn't let her do anything else.

"Yes ma'am!" He growled. Whatever hypnotic state had kept him paralyzed before was gone and he was once again pillaging her mouth and body. Drawing out of it every ounce of pleasure he could find for the both of them. He wanted her. He needed her. He was gonna make her his in every way. "Mine!" He ground out as he plunged into her eagerly awaiting body.

He set a hard and grueling pace but she matched him thrust for thrust. "Mine." He growled in her ear. It wasn't a question it was a statement of fact. She was his now and he was making sure she knew it, that she excepted it. He would settle for no less. 494 didn't know where this was coming from. He'd given up on cognitive thought the moment she'd told him to fuck her. He was acting on impulse and instinct just as she was.

"Yours." She moaned back. "All yours."

494 withdrew eliciting a whimper of disapproval from her pouty lips. Before she could react he rolled her over onto her hands and knees and dove back inside her. Once more he growled. "Mine!" She touched her chin to her chest baring the back of her neck. Her silent invitation to him. He wasted no time, biting down on the back of neck growling he marked and claimed her for him. The knowledge that she was now truly his and only his finally sent him over the edge at the same time Max fell. Both collapsing on the bed in pure ecstasy. They dozed for a while comfortable in each others arms.

Max woke shortly after to 494 rubbing circles on her back. She rolled over to look at him deciding it was time to give him a name. 494 spoke up before she could. "That was amazing 452."

She rolled her eyes. "Stop calling me that. My name is Max and I think it's time we found you one."

"I already told you my designation is 494." He said as if speaking to a child

"You need a name. I think I'll call you Alec. As in smart Alec." She said cheekily.

"I could live with that." He rolled the name around in his head deciding it fit.

"Good cause my second choice was Dick." She plastered one of her biggest smiles across her face when he decided to look ate her again.

Alec felt his stomach knot up when he saw her smile. _Is there no end to her dazzling beauty? _

Max saw his body's reaction to her in his eyes and felt her body respond in kind. She shrugged it off to still being under the thrall of her heat and gladly gave into it again.

When she leaned into kiss him Alec let himself be swept away again in the bliss that was his Max. _Hold up here. When did you start thinking of her as Max and when did she become your Max? Whatever. I'll figure it out later. Right now I have a beautiful woman cravin' some of my lovin' and I'm gonna give her all I got. This time we're gonna take it much slower though._

They did take it much slower this time. They spent the next to hours exploring each others bodies. Getting to know every inch, every arousal point, and every ticklish spot and finally passed out from exhaustion early in the morning.

Max awoke feeling more relaxed and lethargic than she could ever remember. It wasn't tell she heard the guard walking down the hall yelling "Lights on! Time to get up." That reality came rushing back to her and she realized it wasn't Logan's arms she was laying in. _Oh shit this is not good. Fuck I hate Manticore and I hate heat!"_

TBC……


	3. The filler

Rated: R definitely.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with Dark Angel.

Summary: What would've happened if Max had been in heat when Alec first walked into her cell at Manticore...?

This is my answer to Smartieepants challenge. I thought it would be interesting. This is my first attempt at an Alec/Max fic so be gentle please. Reviews are most welcome. Here it goes.

Anything in italics is that characters thoughts.

Hi everyone I'm back. I'm so sorry it took me so long but life has just been hectic lately to say the least. I won't bore you with all the details though so without further ado the long overdue chapter three.

**Chapter Three**

Alec felt and smelled so good a part of Max wanted to tell the guard to piss off and snuggle back into him. But the other part of her that swore up and down that she loved Logan and that heat induced relationships never ended well; especially with cocky, arrogant, Manticore lackeys, told her to get as far away from him as possible. Being Max she of course decided on the latter.

Slipping out of bed she put her clothes ignoring the chill she felt upon separating from Alec. She gathered up Alec's clothes and threw them at him waking him up.

Alec woke up stretching; showing off the feline DNA he also had in his genetics. He glanced at Max and seeing the resolute set off her jaw and the sparkle in her eye that had nothing to do with last nights festivities felt his good mood wane. _What now? I know it wasn't bad. Hell I know it was quite the opposite. Haven't had a complaint yet. _"Morning Hunny." He gave her a cheeky smile.

"Get up. Time for morning formation." Max said hoping he would get moving. It did and she got a full frontal in the process. _My memories are definatly accurate on that. Why does he have to be so damn good-looking? _She turned her face hoping to hide the blush that she felt warming her cheeks; to no avail of course.

"Going shy on me Maxie?" Alec grinned at the sight of her reddening face. _She's adorable when she's blushing and if me strutting around naked is all it takes to make her blush I'll have to do it more often._

_God he sounds like Ben. _"Don't call me Maxie! Let's go."

"Lead the way sweetheart." Alec did a mock bow as the guard opened her cell door. _Guess I hit a nerve. _

Max breezed past him into the hallway. Alec followed close on her heels. The walk to the yard where the breeding partners were to assemble was quiet for which Max was grateful.

Once everyone was assembled Renfro started down the ranks. She stopped at the first pair. "Report."

"Successful copulation with X5-392 Ma'am." The male X5 stated.

"Excellent." Renfro moved onto the next pair and repeated the process. "Report."

"Copulation was unsuccessful ma'am." The female X5 stated.

"Explain"

"X5-698 failed to achieve minimum mission requirements ma'am."

Renfro signaled for the guard to take X5-698 away than moved onto Max and Alec. "Report."

"Successful copulation between myself and X5-452 ma'am." Alec rattled off and without missing a beat added "Twice."

Renfro turned to Max. "Excellent 452. What would your boyfriend say?" Alec did his best to not grimace at this piece of information. _She had a boyfriend on the outside? No wonder she was fighting it so hard last night. Well she's my mate now and I'll keep it that way. _He thought smugly as he was drawn back into the conversation taking place in front of him. "Tell me something. Did you receive any medical treatment when you were on the outside?" Refro asked.

"No ma'am." Max replied.

"Follow me 452. The rest of you are dismissed." Renfro turned and headed to the medical end of the compound. Renfro led her into a room where she found an all too familiar face staring up at her from the bed and packed between ice packs. "Than how do you explain this? She's a younger version of you suffering from late stage progeria. Except for her X7 specific code sequences her DNA is identical to yours. So I'm going to ask you again. Did you receive any medical care that we should know about?"

"No ma'am."

"Than I guess were just gonna have to do spinals on you both so we can run a DNA analysis. Maybe you've just been lucky. For all we know that could still be you." Renfro exited the room leaving Max to her thoughts. _Could that still happen to me? It happened to Brin. Why hasn't it happened to me? And what am I gonna do about Alec? _Just the thought of him made her flesh tingle and sent waves of heat into her lower abdomen. _Okay don't think about Alec. I have got to get out of here. I've gotta get back to Logan. Yes think about Logan. He's safe and predictable and knows how to treat a lady. He's not some arrogant, smart-alec, pain in the ass… good lookin, great kissing…. Bad brain! No Alec thoughts. Steer away from that subject. I better get back to my unit. _Max left whimpering as she tried not to think of Alec but failing miserably.

The minute Max got back to her cell that night she got to work on the bricks under her bunk. An hour after lights out she finally broke through. Pulling them out of the way she poked her head through the hole to get her bearings. _Must be the basement. That's perfect. Now if I can just find a window and get past any security I'm home free! Ok Max les not get too excited. One step at a time. Now to find a window _

Backing out of the hole she put her bunk back down, laid the bricks on it and made it to look as if she were in it. Than sitting down she scooted herself through the hole feet first. Max was surveying her surroundings when she heard growling. It was coming from behind a chain link divider of some sort. She started to make out a silhouette when it moved. It came charging around the wall towards her. At first she thought it was a long haired, grungy dressed man. Than she saw his face as he stopped short about ten feet from her, snarling and growling. It had the face of a man and yet a dog. _Aw shit. One of the nomilies. Definately to much canine DNA in his cocktail. I hope he's not hungry for cat. I wonder if he can talk. I better say something before he decides to make me his din-din. Oh shit here he comes! _ The nomlie started coming at her.

"Easy! Easy!" Max said backing away from him. "Easy. Relax big fella." The nomlie stopped and started sniffing the air looking curious.

"You relax little fella." He said eyeing Max.

"Wow you can talk." _So he can talk. That's a good sign. May be he knows where I can find a window or better yet and exit. _"Wow." He said still eyeing her.

"I didn't mean anything by it I've just never seen anybody like you before. So what happened? They throw to much canine DNA in your cocktail?"

"Cat, cat in you cocktail."

"Hey don't hold it against me." He started growling and she got a good view of his teeth. "Hey I dig your teeth. Can I see them?" Now he really started growling and looking nervous. "Hey it's alright. Those are cool. "She said examining them. "My names Max."

"Father named you."

"Nope no father just me."

"Father named me Joshua."

"Who Lydecker?" Joshua really growled at that.

"Father: Sandeman. He made me than named me. Made us all. I was first, special."

"Is he here?"

"Father gone. Father made us. Made more. More like me. More like you. Than more people come. Father lost. Father gone."

"So he made you and than left you?"

"Made me and left me."

"That's pretty whack."

"Pretty whack."

Max started looking around. "Too bad you don't have a room with a view."

"Room with a view?" Joshua parroted looking clueless.

"Yeah, room with a view as in a window." _So he can talk but defiantly not the smartest cookie. Still he's cute and seems really sweet._

"Room with a view." Joshua motioned for her to follow him.

A little while later Max returned to her cell. She put the bricks back in place and laid down on her bunk. _Well that was a promising start. Another night or so and I should be through. I still don't know what I'll do about those X7s though. Oh well I'll figure something out. I always do. I still don't know what I'm gonna do about Alec. Wait. When did he enter the picture?_

_You know when._

_That was a heat induced thing. Know way am I going to make anything more of it. Besides heat induced relationships never end well._

_Yeah keep telling yourself that babe._

_This topic of conversation is over. What am I arguing with myself now? And what's with the second voice?_

_Not by a long shot._

_Oh enough. I'm going to sleep. At least get my usual two hours before morning formation._

_Sweet dreams._

Max woke up in a sweat. She had some sweet dreams alright. She could still feel Alec's weight on her; his skin sliding over hers; his lips against the hollow of her neck. _God it's hot in here. Mmmm, Alec. Whoa! What?! Okay bad thoughts. Where's the shower when you need a cold one._

_Are you sure you don't want to go there again?_

_Oh not you again. I'm not listening. I'm going to formation, than breakfast. I'm getting through this day and than I'm getting out tonight._

_Whatever._

The day passed like all the rest. Breakfast, training, tests, lunch, followed by yet more training and tests; than finally dinner and classes wrapped it up. _ You'd think they'd come up with something new after so many years. Thank god I didn't see Alec today. Why can't I get him off my mind?_

_Damn Boo you got it bad._

_Great now your gonna sound like OC. What would OC say if she saw me now? If she saw Alec? If she knew what happened? She'd probably tell me about time I got some._

_Damn strait!_

"Ugh! I have got to stop talking to myself. It's this place. It's starting to get to me. I gotta get out. Well no time like the present." The minute the lights went out Max pulled out the bricks and set off to the basement again.

It was early morning when she returned to her cell. She was almost through the hole when the sound of his voice made her jump. The voice that made her instantly aware of his masculine presence. She turned to see him sitting Indian style on her bunk. "Forget we had a date?" He did not look pleased.

I know. Not my juiciest chapter. But as the story progresses and we go further from original cannon it will get more interesting I promise. So just bear with me please.

I will have the next chapter up hopefully by the end of the week.


	4. Decisions

**Rated: R definitely.**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with Dark Angel.

Summary: What would've happened if Max had been in heat when Alec first walked into her cell at Manticore...?

This is my answer to Smartieepants challenge. I thought it would be interesting. This is my first attempt at an Alec/Max fic so be gentle please. Reviews are most welcome. Here it goes.

Anything in italics is that characters thoughts.

Hey I'm sorry it took me so long to make my way back. I know my week turned into months sorry. But without further ado here is the next chapter.

**Chapter Four**

_Damn! He even looks hot when he's pissed. Oh get over it already Max! _Not wanting to let him in on her thoughts she fell back on her usual, defensive sarcasm. "So when do the stormtroopers bust in?"

Alec chuckled. _Is there no end to her attitude? _"Don't worry. I didn't set off the alarm. Not yet."

_Thank god! I still have a chance but what is he playing at? _"What do you want?"

_You, right here right now. _Alec decided to play it cool though the thought of her leaving scared him to death. "I'm not looking for any trouble. What you do is your own business." Alec climbed off the bed making sure to brush against Max and held her bunk up for her so she could put the bricks back. _God she smells good. _"Why do you want out of here so much? You've got a roof over your head, plenty to eat... which is more than you can say about most people out there." _Not to mention a stud like me ready and willing to bed you every night. Is it hot in here._

Max tried to ignore his close proximity as much as possible but her body seemed to be totally tuned to him. The moment he brushed against her she felt her temperature go up a couple notches and if that wasn't bad enough she knew her body was releasing pheromones like her heat was coming back on. _What the fuck is going on with me. I feel like I'm going back into heat and if he doesn't get out of here soon..... ugh! _"You think Manticore takes care of you out of the goodness of it's heart? It's using you."

"Nobody's using me."

"That's what you don't get. Your working for the bad guys." _God is he really this dense. Yeah, dense but cute. Oh not you! Just shut up! _

"And who are the good guys?" Alec dropped the bunk a closed the distance between them. _She smells so good. Are those pheromones I'm smelling? Is she in heat again? That's not possible. At least I don't think it is. Whatever. _Alec was so lost in thought and her enticing aroma that he was caught of guard when Max came at him. Before he knew it he was landing hard on the floor and his mouth was being plundered by a saucy brunette. _Oh yeah! Mm-mm ! _That was his last coherent thought as he rolled Max over to pin her underneath him. One hand cupping her face to deepen the kiss and the other reaching for her waistband to untuck her shirt.

Max felt her temperature rise again if it were possible. _God does he have to come so close. I can see the lines of his muscles underneath his shirt. _"Well they're not Manticore." Max found herself reliving what it felt like too run her hands over those muscles. What it felt like to have them pressed against her own. She felt her body sway towards him. He was like a magnet drawing her in and she couldn't resist the pull. When hes lips parted slightly and she felt his exhaled breath wash over her skin it was like a cannon going off in her. She launched herself at him. No other thought than she had to have him. Had to feel him in here, inside her, surrounding her.

When her mouth collided with his electricity shot through every part of her. They hit the floor hard and the jolt of the impact and their bodies colliding seemed to jar some awareness back to her. Mm-mm._ That feels sooo good. Wait what's going on? Am I kissing Alec? Oh god I'm kissing Alec!_

_Don't be denyin. You like it._

_He's a great kisser._

_Damn straight! Now getchu sum! _Max was being rolled over. They were still kissing and than she felt his hand groping at her waistband trying to pull her shirt loose. _Wait! What am I doing?_

_Getting you sum. Duh! Didn't we just do this?!_

_This is Alec though not Logan. I love Logan and Alec is Manticore. Everything Manticore. I can't do this. I gotta get out of here! _In one hard shove Alec was off her and slamming into the wall.

"What the Fuck?!" Alec was reeling. He'd never known someone to go tat hot and cold that fast. _What did I do? Did I miss something? Does she like it rough and I missed that cue? Cause I'm really not into that that. A little roughness is fun now and than but I'm a lover. _

"How dare you touch me! Get out!" Max was shaken. The minute her body lost contact with his she went cold like someone sucked the warmth out of her. She was trembling, angry, confused and highly aroused. She didn't know what to process first. But she wanted to do it in private which meant getting rid of him.

"Touch you?! You touched me first! You're the one that threw yourself at me sweetheart. They got you on drugs or something cause you sure know how to confuse a guy. Sending mixed signals like that. Blowing hot and cold."

"Asshole! I'm fine! There is nothing wrong with me. But obviously there's something wrong with you. And to think I found you attractive with all you..."

"So you admit you find me attractive. What would you say on a scale of one to ten; ten being the hottest....."

"Why you arrogant, conceded ass!"

"Hey now don't go getting your panties in a twist. I'm gonna be out of here in five minutes to go back to my cell, and you'll get rid of me for the night. Okay, 452?" He knew calling her by her designation would only piss her off more but he didn't care. He had been hurt and e wanted to hurt back.

"My name is Max!"

"Whatever you say." Alec walked over to the window in the door. "Guard!" He wanted to get the hell out of the. He wanted to go back to his bunk where he could lick his wounds in private and try to work out some of the confusion rocketing around in his head. "See you around... Max." He said taking his leave of her.

The minute the door closed max flopped back on her bed. She hit her head against the wall. Her mind kept telling her she'd done the right thing but why did she feel like she just made the biggest mistake than? _What is wrong with me? It's got to be this place they're messing with me. Logan where are you when I need you? My stable predictable Logan._

Alec didn't even realize he was at his room till the guard cleared his throat. "Problem 494? Can't handle you female?" Alec could hear the amusement in the guys voice. "Shove it Emeritts!" He retorted entering his room and waiting for the door to close. The guard obliged and walked away chuckling under his breath.

Alec layed on his bunk staring at the ceiling. He didn't even try to sleep. He knew it wouldn't happen. He was to busy reliving the nights event. First the excitement of seeing her again in private when he had been walking to her room. Than the sheer terror when he found her missing. He had wanted to start searching for her immediately but didn't want to alert someone to the fact she was missing. The relief he when she crawled out from under the bed. The attraction that coursed through him bickering with her. The mid blowing arousal when they were making out. Than last but not least the blast of icy cold confusion and hurt when she rejected him.

He felt his heart restrict when he thought of that last one. He didn't know why. He had only just met her but her rejecting him made him want to curl up and disappear. _What is wrong with me. I thought I had taken care of this. When did I get so sensitive again. Time to toughen up soldier. If she doesn't want you fine. Just ignore her. Problem solved._

The next morning Max found herself once again being dragged in front of Renfro._ God this is really becoming a regular thing. You'd almost think she had a thing for me. "_You don't understand what's at stake here, 452. If Eyes Only isn't stopped, there are gonna be news vans parked outside the perimeter. The Committee is not going to allow the existence of this program to be exposed. It'll jeopardize its other operations."

"Guess I'm suppose to be curious and ask what that means."

"It means that I lock down the cells and I burn this place to the ground with you and everyone else inside." Max rolls her eyes at this. _Drama mama much. "_Oh, you don't believe me? On paper, this place is a V.A. hospital. Anybody comes looking, all they're gonna find is the remains of a tragic fire that killed all its patients. It's called plausible deniability."

"It's called bluffing"

"Look, you need to understand something. You are nothing but meat to me. This--_(holds up a disk)_--this is what matters. I could start over anywhere. I just put all the data that we have accumulated into my briefcase, lock the door, light the match, and kiss your transgenic ass goodbye." Renfro stepped close bearing down on her. "You make me find Eyes Only by myself...he is a dead man. Help me...there's a deal to be made. Think about it."

Max looks over when she hears the door open. A man comes in carrying a file. "We ran the blood sample we found at the warehouse." He said handing the file to Renfro.

Renfro glances through the file and looks up at Max smiling. "Ah, time's up."

Max felt her stomach drop. The guards closed in and once again she found herself being led through the base and into a room that had a lot of bad memories. She tries to fight them as they strap her down and inject her with something. She can feel the drug rip through her veins like wildfire burning her from the inside out. The last thing she remembers is Renfro leaning over her. "You're going to help me whether you want to or not."

Alec was in the middle of gearing up for an FTX when a guard showed up telling him he was to report to Director Renfro's office immediately. _Please let her be assigning me a new breeding partner. _Though the thought of someone else soured his stomach he couldn't deal with the hot and cold that was Max anymore.

Alec was halfway to Renfro's office when someone redirected him to an observation room in his least favorite part of the base: Psy Ops. Alec swallowed hard. _Aww shit! Shit, shit shit! _When he came into the room he found Renfro overlooking one of the reprogramming rooms. When he saw what was going on in the room two things happened. First he got hit by fear that swept over him like an icy cold upon seeing Max in the chair. Second right on the heels of that cold was a wave of heat like someone opening a furnace. The thought of someone hurting Max; his Max pissed him off in a way he'd never experienced before. It took all his control to maintain his soldiers mask and keep him from ripping off everyone's head.

Renfro turned from the window and looked Alec over. "How is your copulation going with X5-452?"

"No problems to report Ma'am." Alec replied wondering where this is going.

"Good. So you're getting along well. I have a new assignment for you 494." Alec just stood there waiting for Renfro to continue.

After a few minutes of deliberating on just how much to tell 494 she went over to a counter a picked up a folder. "Has she mentioned her boyfriend on the outside to you 494?"

"No ma'am." Alec felt his heart drop once again at the thought of her having someone else.

"Well her boyfriend has been causing us some annoyance. You may have heard of him. The infamous Eyes Only?"

Realizing the last one was a question he answered quickly wanting to know where this was going. "Yes ma'am."

"I thought so. Well 452 is going to help us persuade him to find greener pastures else where. I know she's going to come up with an escape plan soon if she hasn't already. Your mission is to continue seeing her at night but instead of copulating you are to gain her trust and find out what she's planing. You are to aid her in her escape. Than follow her to Eyes Only. Once you reach them you are to bring them both back with you alive. Any questions 494?"

Normally Alec wouldn't ask questions cause his missions were usually pretty clear and they generally frowned on you asking questions but he was a little confused. "Not to knock my persuasive skills ma'am but why would they come back with me?"

Alec got a little queasy when he saw the smile that lit up Renfro's' face at this question. "Because 494 we have put a virus in 452 that will make Eyes Only very sick and if she wants him to live she'll have to bring him back here so we can give him the antidote. Oh but make sure she doesn't touch him after initial contact cause the more they touch the quicker it works." Now Alec really was going to be sick. "Is that clear enough for you soldier?"

"Yes ma'am!" Renfro turned from him to once again observe the other room. "You will report to 452's room at 2100 hours tonight and begin your new mission. Dismissed."

Alec left the room without another word and only risking a quick glance into the other room. Though even that quick glance was almost enough to do him in.

Alec spent the rest of the day quiet and lost in thought. He was torn. Should he be a good soldier and follow through with his orders or did he defy Renfro and tell Max what they were planning. If he followed through with his orders he was safe and could use it to eliminate his competition for Max's affection but he'd also risk her hating him forever if she found out he knew all along which she would. If he warned her than she might like him more and maybe convince her to just stay here. But she could leave him and go after her boyfriend and if Renfro found out he'd get another one way ticket to Psy Ops. _Fuck! Why the hell did she have to come into my life? Why couldn't they pair me off with someone else? Damn traitors are always making my life hell! _

Later as Alec approached Max's room he still hadn't made up his mind. He was almost fearing the moment when they opened her door cause he knew he was going to have to make a choice and than the moment came.

Max woke at the sound of her door being opened. She woke in a sweat panting and disoriented. When she looked up it was too see Alec entering her room all sexy and cocky smile as usual. Though that smile disappeared really quick after he caught sight of her.

_Damn she looks strung out. Now what do I do?......._

_TBC................._

Hate me or love but yes that's where I'm leaving it for now. Let me know what you think. Should Alec follow orders or tell Max all?


End file.
